4 replies to this topic

[Waganga]

Caught two queen ants on the front of my house earlier this week. One is in good shape and pretty calm, and the other is missing her right antenna and half of her left frontmost leg. My husband named them Dos Antos and Lefty, respectively. Both of them look like they are the same species.

 

Location: Front of house around window and door frame, front yard, Northglenn, Colorado, USA

Date: 5/30/18 and 5/31/18

Time: 5:30ish pm, and 11ish pm respectively

Habitat: Urban yard, near lots of mature trees

Length: Apx 12mm

Coloration: Dark brown head, dark brown gaster, dark orange thorax and legs; Shiny with lots of hairs on the gaster. 

Distinguishing Characteristics: One petiole node; 10 antennae segments

Behavior: Very jumpy/skittish if test tubes are handled, they don't seem to have settled down just because they're in an enclosed space. 

 

All the pictures

 

Best pictures:

 

I'm guessing these guys are Camponotus sp of some kind, possibly C. novaeboracensis or C. vicinus. Opinions?

 

Also, how likely is Lefty to make it? She was being actively hunted by a garden spider when I noticed her, but she still seems to be alert and active today.

[Phoenix]

C. novaeboracensis I would say.

[LC3]

Too small for C. novaeboracensis. This looks like a Myrmentoma species.

EDIT: Probably C. decipiens, but it looks a lot like a picture perfect match for C. hyatti (I think it's this one). The latter hasn't been recorded in Colorado, but is abundant in the surrounding states. Also unfortunately queens with missing antennae tend to struggle way more then queens missing other limbs when it comes to rearing their brood.

Edited by LC3, June 2 2018 - 10:13 PM.

[piratechef]

Looks like the nearticus queen i caught few weeks ago, sadly she died shortly after I got her in test tube. I will try my spots tomorrow. Nice job on the Camponotus queens. Also i like the names you have given them lol.

[Waganga]

Thanks everyone for responding!

 

Shortly after catching these ladies, I noticed some similar looking Camponotus workers in the front yard, so I caught one of those. Perhaps this will help?

 

I'm really interested in getting the species exact, because these ladies and this worker look pretty similar to a queen I found about a month ago, but thought might be from out of state. 

 

C. decipiens was my guess as well, though, based on what is known to be in Colorado.